Re: DSII and SGII turn length (FT notes)

St. St. St. Jon wrote:

Well, what we actually said in both SG and DS was that if you needed to
work out roughly how long an overall DS or SG battle had taken in game
time
(for reasons of campaign time, movement of reinforcements and off-table
units, etc.), then you should consider each turn to have represented
approximately 5 minutes (SG) or 15 (DS). What this DOESN'T mean is that
each game turn contains 5 (or 15) minutes worth of movement, combat or
whatever - in fact the actions of each turn probably only occupy a small
fraction of this; it is an attempt to reflect the fact that most battles
contain variable periods of relative inactivity ("hurry up and wait")
between short flurries of action. For the purposes of the individual
game
turn, the timescale is not really important or relevant - especially as
the
whole turn sequence is an artificial abstraction to make the game
function!
*********
I understand this, and I realise that the entire thing is an
abstraction. My
point is twofold. One: the topic came up in discussing Full Thrust speed
(namely that "jinking" off sensors would plaster the crew to the wall,
and
just how long is 1 " in space anyways.) The fact that the entire turn
length
is an abstracion means you cannot say what the speed/ranges are for full
thrust when compared with the DSII turn length no matter how well you
may
have memorised astrophysics.
Two:If you do determine speeds in FT with the turn length in DSII then
in
DSII a vehicle in easy movement should be able to cross the entire
table,
and then some (about 3 more tables), in one turn. While everyone else is
"hurrying up and waiting" they are hauling a** along the highway. And
what
commander is "Hurrying up and waiting" while forces are passing him on
said
freeway?

I understand that the length of the turn varies from turn to turn so
that an
event like I described only happens in a 1.2 minute turn (Civ wheeled at
easy move: 97kph (60 mph) at 20meters per turn) but if anyone is going
to
figure speeds and ranges for FT it needs to be based off the more
accurate
"real world" speeds for DSII not the abstracted turn lengths. Comparing
turn
lengths and speeds is a proverbial "apples and oranges" proposition.
Besides
the abstracted turn length in FT may be 15 min with their own "Hurry up
and
wait" but that still dosen't tell you how much of that time ships are
actually moving, or firing.

However, as to the turn length PTB (Pseudo-Tactical B***s***.
P.Strategic B.
would work as well but might be confused with P.Scientific B.) in DSII:
The
text says (and SGII is similar) "...most real combat consists of sudden
bursts of frantic firefight seperated by long periods of movement,
scouting
and general inactivity...". On table: if your forces aren't scouting, or
moving "in game", then there is no scouting or moving going on. And tell
"general inactivity" to a recon infantry platoon in mid scouting run,
ducking under MBT crossfire. Under fire markes alone have given my SGII
forces reasonable "general inactivity" for their missions, which are
typically "fast" strike and reconnisance objectives. Any more abstracted
waiting and they would take far too long to accomplish their mission
goals
to be useful to a larger force.